be an item
To be a romantic couple. I thought Luke and Andrea broke up—is it true that they're an item again? Wait, you two are an item now? Oh my gosh, that makes me so happy! Please don't tell Sue that Adam and I are an item now—she used to go out with Adam, you know.
big-ticket item
A purchase that is particularly expensive. The pop star was always drawn to frivolous big-ticket items, such as sports cars and rare works of art. We've never had much money, so a brand new furniture set is something of a big-ticket item for us. I'm living paycheck to paycheck as it is, so I can't afford a big-ticket item like a car right now.
collector's item
An item that is especially noteworthy for its value, rarity, or history and would thus be prized by someone who collects such things. We went through my grandfather's attic and came upon a number of different collector's items, from rare toys to vintage rifles. You know, you could make some serious cash selling a mint-condition collector's item like this. It's too bad Beanie Babies aren't the collector's items they were supposed to be. I'd have made a fortune!
hot item
1. Something that is selling very well. That toy has been a hot item in my store for months—I can barely keep it in stock! If you're interested in that moisturizer, I'd pick it up now—it's been a hot item. I'm afraid that's the only one I have left. What can I say—it's been a hot item.
2. A particularly passionate romantic couple. A: "Mike and Sue sure seem like a hot item these days." B: "I know, they can hardly keep their hands off each other!" Trust me, if they're a hot item right now, that'll end once they get to know each other better! A: "The rumor going around is that you and Bobby are a hot item now." B: "Well, that rumor is not true. We went to prom together—that's all."
line item
A singular detail or unit of information, as of a financial report or a piece of legislation. The auditor wants to go through every single line item from the company's general ledger and financial statements to look for any irregularities. The council member argued that cutting this line item from the budget would have a devastating impact on public schools.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
collector's item
An object of great interest, value, or rarity, as in This necklace is a collector's item. Originating in the early 1900s as collector's piece, a usage still common in Britain, the term in its present form is occasionally transferred to persons as well, as in The Beach Boys became a collector's item on the tour. [c. 1930]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
be an item
INFORMALIf two people are an item, they are having a romantic or sexual relationship. She and Gino were an item.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
be an item
(of a couple) be involved in an established romantic or sexual relationship. informal 1997 Independent ‘It is fair to say they are an item but they are not engaged,’ said one of Mr Brown's closest confidantes.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
be an ˈitem
(informal) be involved in a romantic or sexual relationship: Are they an item?Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
hot item
1. n. an item that sells well. This little thing is a hot item this season.
2. n. a romantically serious couple. Sam and Mary are quite a hot item lately.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
big-ticket item, a
An expensive purchase; a large outlay. Ticket refers either to the price tag or to the banking term meaning a preliminary record of a transaction before it is posted in a permanent book of account. The term originated in the United States about 1940 and is a borderline cliché.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer